Thirty-two years of watching Port Adelaide destroy the hopes and dreams of multiple teams when it matters has taught me that they’re a bear you shouldn’t poke.
And if ever the Power needed an injection of that Magpies belligerence, it’s now.
The Port Adelaide tradition is the greatest and oldest in the country. They are the single most successful team in the country by premierships – a record built on a signature attitude.
As a kid, when you went to watch Port Adelaide play your side, you learned quickly that no lead was ever safe because they just did not ever give up.
I can’t count the amount of times I slumped devastated into the back seat of my mum’s 1981 Mazda 626 and silently eased out of the Football Park carpark, having just had my heart broken by Port Adelaide again.
We all hated them. But we hated them because they were so bloody good.
When Port Adelaide Power entered the AFL in 1997, they were forbidden from having any links to the Port Adelaide Magpies. Fans would argue that mattered little because in their hearts it was still the same club. Circa 2010, Port Adelaide Power announced a reshuffle and the Power and Magpies came back together under one board.
The one-club narrative has been the topic of much conjecture since, with some believing it would be the death of the 143-year-old Port Adelaide tradition.
(Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
When Adelaide and Port Adelaide struck deals to enter reserves teams into the SANFL, the one-club policy effectively enveloped the Magpies, turning them into a Power reserves side.
Former Magpies captain Steven Summerton said this on social media about that development: “A Power reserves team will be a team full of blokes not playing for the prison bars, but playing only to try and get themselves noticed by the AFL side.”
Fast forward to 2021 and after a whole season in the top four without actually beating any other sides in it, Port Adelaide Power have been labelled by the AFL media circus as pretenders.
Had this been a mate sitting next to me in the stands, I’d have promptly told them to shut up. You do not poke this bear.
Can this side prove me right? It remains unclear. From the outside looking in, the Power don’t invoke anything like the same sense of trepidation Magpies teams used to trigger. Yet they have the ultimate opportunity to regain that image.
This used to be the exact time the insatiable beast inside the Magpies would wake. And they’d mercilessly mow you down from six goals down in the last.
Well, they’re six goals down and it’s the last quarter of the season. So these players and this administration need to tap into the tradition narrative now and drink from it by the gallon.
The list is good enough, but if Port Adelaide Power wish to continue claiming 143 years of heritage and tradition, then for the next six weeks and finals, the players need to show their fans they understand it.
Because if they fail again, the wider footy public will find it incredibly difficult to take their claims seriously, which as a Port hater from way back, I would find very sad.
Footy doesn’t feel quite right if you don’t fear Port Adelaide.
Ilias Mavromatis
Roar Rookie
Another puff write up about Ken continues ! Hinkley has coached more games without a premiership than any other current AFL coach Even worse, he is officially Ports most unsuccessful coach in our rich 151 year history. He has coached more games than any other Port Adelaide coach in our ENTIRE HISTORY without a premiership Yet people wonder why we want his head on a pike? SACK THE campaigner!!!!! Games coached without a premiership from the current AFL coaches Robert Harvey (Collingwood - Caretaker) - 3 games David Noble (North Melbourne) - 13 games Ben Rutten (Essendon) - 14 games Justin Longmuir (Fremantle) - 22 games Matthew Nicks (Adelaide) - 32 games David Teague (Carlton) - 39 games Stuart Dew (Gold Coast) - 61 games Chris Fagan (Brisbane) - 101 games Simon Goodwin (Melbourne) - 101 games Brett Ratten (St Kilda / Carlton) - 143 games (23 St Kilda / 120 Carlton) Leon Cameron (GWS) - 160 games KEN HINKLEY (PORT ADELAIDE) - 178 games Port Adelaide coaches only (AFL and SANFL) - 20 game qualification / From 1886 onwards John Cahill - 10 premierships in 488 games Foster Williams - 9 premierships in 447 games Shine Hosking - 4 premierships in 172 games Jack McGargill - 4 premierships in 366 games Stephen Williams - 3 premierships in 163 games Jack Londrigan - 2 premierships in 28 games Frank Hansen - 1 premiership in 26 games Arch Hosie - 1 premiership in 60 games Geof Motley - 1 premiership in 62 games Bon Quinn - 1 premiership in 80 games Mark Williams - 1 premiership in 274 games Bull Reval - 0 premierships in 37 games Len Ashby - 0 premierships in 38 games Matthew Primus - 0 premierships in 47 games Russell Ebert - 0 premierships in 116 games KEN HINKLEY - 0 PREMIERSHIPS IN 178 GAMES
AD
Guest
You can see the issue encapsulated in his choice of drink. Coke No Sugar. WTF is that? It's an insipid imitation of a far superior original product. Don't be insipid, Ken. Drink proper Coke or don't drink it at all! :silly:
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
When you say “Adelaide supporters” you obviously mean Port Adelaide supporters! Adelaide does not have any 1960s 1970’s or 1980’s history!
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
The whole of 2007 has been wiped from my memory.lol.
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Don't think of the grand final appearance!
Roger of Sydney
Roar Rookie
I think you have been drinking the Port Adelaide Koolaid. We hated Port because they were thugs on the field and their supporters were even worse, fear of their skills is imaginative . They won premierships but compared to teams like Norward and Sturt they were low skilled they just hit harder. The Port Power of today still has that arrogance that they believe they are the greatest and thats why they are underperforming , they are not objective about their abilities they just believe their history counts for something , nup.
"the best supporter base" Ummmm excuse me??? This is a franchise that not too long ago covered half the stadiums seats with tarps to mask the embarrassment of no one being there. Crowds to port power games are only marginally higher this season that the AFC - and thats with the afc being at the lowest ebb of on field performance in their history - power meanwhile are apparently going to win 3 of the next five flags so they should be getting sell outs every week. No, the port fans are feral and bogan to the the core of their existence - one thing they have done is manage to completely ruin what was a good song!
Seymorebutts
Guest
''Port are a Bear you shouldnt poke'' For a second there I thought you were talking about Russia. Ports record in the AFL is barely any better than the Dockers, Saints or Demons...and is the same as the Dogs and.. wait for it.. Carlton!! As a matter of fact, half the league has won more flags than that in the period, including their arch rivals the Crows. Port are a perennial mid table side who finished on top of the ladder twice a generation ago. Whats the difference between Port Power and a Bear? The ''Bear'' has a cool name.
Griffo 09
Roar Rookie
Yeah, ok, so you don't draw your line before 1916. I'll ask again, why 1990? What was so different about 1990 from the years preceding it?
Pelican
Roar Rookie
We might be less pretenderish if Ken could coach. I would like to see what a propper game day coach could do with this team. Ken picks one game plan and then cant change tack mid game, or mid year even. He is bland
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Lmao that's ok, we all have them occasionally. Dam i don't even like saying it but we have one premiership and one gf, well if you could call it that. Its the thought that counts right.lol.
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
Sorry. Crows have two flags and a GF since Port came into the league in 1997. Brainfade!
DarwinDee
Guest
Maybe you misread the comment - SANFL is not VFL/AFL. VFA is not VFL/AFL. VFL is VFL/AFL. Benalla don't try to claim their O&M flags now they are in the GVFL either...
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: mate that is the best reply ever
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
They might have done alright in the bush league but they have 1 flag in 23 seasons playing against the best. They look good against average teams and then get found out by the top 4. Don't get me wrong, they're a good team this year, same as last year - but none of the flag favourites will be quaking at the sight of black white and teal this year
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
When did the crows win 3 or are we including the AFLW. Which if so is abit of a stretch considering we haven't got a team as yet but the official licence submission went in on Friday. I do agree though we should of at least had two now we missed out in the 2000's with only the one plus 2014(think thats the right year.lol.) and 2020 were missed opportunities as well. In saying that though with the amount of teams in the leauge then and now technically it should of been one on average every 16 years which is now 18years. Thats if everything goes right as well which isn't easy. This is one reason i don't think we should expand with more teams and teams would have to merge, in a lifetime on average with 18 teams, your looking at 3 or 4 premierships in your life time. If you make it 20 teams. Omfg.lol.
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
Getting eras and competitions mixed up here. From formation in 1870 to AFL induction in 1997 Port Adelaide won 34 SANFL titles. That’s better than one every 4 years. Impressive. But in a quarter century of AFL involvement the return is just one flag. In horse racing parlance the AFL is a big step up in class. True six other clubs have won no flags since 1997. But though I admire Port and Ken Hinkley, over 25 years in the League the club has been generally a mid table performer. Port Adelaide is certainly not a force to strike fear into other clubs. This year, as in many recent years, and as the Demons showed this week, Port doesn’t quite match it with the big boys. Even the Crows have 3 flags in the time Port has graced the competition.
Pinchy
Guest
I told you That we could fly 'Cause we all have wings But some of us don't know why…. Great article mate. Spine tingling stuff. Here’s to TJ and Kenny raising the cup last Sat in Sept
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Carlton were once feared and hated too !
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
I have empathy for you. I feed my local four magpies oats each working day in the hope they will successfully breed and not have their eggs eaten by crows this Spring. Hate the crow.